The field of the invention pertains to weight scales and, in particular, to electro-mechanical scales for weighing individual servings of food, however, the features of the scale are applicable to weighing ranges considerably greater or less than a range from fractions of an ounce to about a pound.
Typically, mechanical weighing means have utilized multiple lever arrangements and spring arrangements to move a dial indicator or balancing weight arm in response to the weight. More recently electric sensing means have been added for greater sensitivity and remote reading of the weight placed on the scale. The advent of miniaturized and sophisticated electronic circuitry in the form of integrated circuits at very low cost now permits sophisticated computations to be almost instantaneously performed in response to the input of the weight from weight sensing means in the scale and in response to other inputs to the electronic circuitry.
With the advent of the sophisticated and inexpensive electronic computational circuitry has developed a need for very inexpensive but highly accurate and sensitive electro-mechanical weight sensing means that can be fitted into the scale. The typical load cell, however, is expensive and cumbersome in comparison with the requirements of a simple, cheap but nevertheless computationally sophisticated and very accurate scale.